A report on the level of foreign ownership in our food industry produced some inconvenient facts for food security hysterics.
Agriculture
Keane’s guide to the year in political garbage
Will 2012 see an improvement in the quality of public debate? Don’t count on it.
GM canola — is anyone buying it?
Grain traders and the WA government are refusing to divulge how much of the genetically modified (GM) canola grown in WA last year has been sold, amid reports that sales have been sluggish, writes Lisa Roth of 3rd Degree.
Who’s who in $4.4 trillion foreign farmland spending spree
As controversy bubbles over the latest big local farmland buy-up and what it means for food production, it’s worth looking to see where these foreign raiders are coming from, who’s backing them and how other countries are tightening regulations to stop them.
Foreign ownership of Aussie land: the peril of selling the farm
Foreign government-backed companies have begun buying up farmland around the world, with Australia’s vast tracts of top quality primary production land a prime target.
Live export industry’s hypocrisy on animal activists
A 2009 report shows that the cattle industry regarded animal welfare as a marketing problem, that needed more funding for ads.
Queensland: the carbon kings
New greenhouse data shows that even with the GFC and some one-off factors holding down emissions, Australia will miss its 5% carbon reduction target by 2020.
National food plan — will taxpayers be left with the bill for another ‘strategic industry’?
We’ve heard this all before. “Strategic industries” and “industry plans” are invariably code for taxpayer support.
Mini cows: the new climate change superheroes
10 mini cows produce the same amount of methane as an ordinary full-sized cow. They even taste better than bigger cows. Plus cows that are shorter than 92cm are known as ‘teacup cattle’. What more do you need to know?
Curry spices key ingredient in climate change recipe
Scientists in Britain have found that spices such as turmeric and coriander may help to reduce the amount of methane gases released by cows and sheep by up to 40 per cent. Curry anyone?
Genetically Modified food: a force for good or evil?
Genetically modified crops are a tricky topic. They have the potential to solve world food shortage issues, yet they also could create massive super weeds and potential health problems. Should we be worried?
Reality bites the “grand visions” of Northern Development – again
The idea of developing a bounteous “food bowl” that could ensure Australia’s food security long into the future has been a recurring political dream. But like most dreams, they usually get mugged by the grim realities of science and economics.
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How Monsanto controls and manipulates the world’s food supply
An investigation by the Associated Press reveals how agricultural giant Monsanto uses its stranglehold on the seed industry to push out smaller competitors and control the world’s food supply. Expect food to get even more expensive.
California’s water wars rage on
California lawmakers have approved several bills that could significantly change the state’s troubled water system, fueling hopes that a generation of feuds over the state’s most vital and overexploited natural resource might soon be over.
GM corn still approved here despite Europe, Kiwi concerns
A genetically modified variety of corn remains approved for use in Australia, despite the withdrawal of applications for approval in Europe and serious concerns about its assessment raised by a New Zealand university research team.
The CPRS: what the Liberals want
So Malcolm Turnbull has convinced the Coalition to push amendments on the Government’s CPRS. But what is it that the Liberals want?
Magic mushrooms: the secret hunt of food junkies
Take a journey into the secret world of the mushroom lovers sub-culture, where they’re not gatherers, but hunters, and get a whole new appreciation for the humble funghi.
Queensland farmers rise up to take on the miners
Queensland’s Surat Basin has the third largest energy resource in the world but farm groups are warning that mining areas risk catastrophic environmental damage to food-producing areas, reports Amanda Gearing.
Dead cattle put Kenya at the brink of national disaster
Years of drought sweeping across Kenya’s plains have placed the country at a critical stage. Four million Kenyans are on food aid, yet a blotched government plan has resulted in hundreds of dead cattle.
Richer than the richest gold, if a farm’s got soul
Insipid food lines and factory farms full of antibiotics have replaced the traditional family farm, leaving modern day farming with no soul, writes Nicholas D. Kristof.
Farmer wants an heir
Wannabe farmers with being matched with farming old timers in a new US government program, aimed at staving off the rural exodus and transferring skills to young farmers.
Solutions for a starving planet
By 2050, the world will have nine billion people to feed, and increasingly less land to do it with. Popular Science looks at eight potential farming innovations — from genetically engineered rice to robot farmers — to help stop world hunger and feed a growing world’s appetite.
Wealthy Arab nations sew foreign soil to secure food supply
Oil-rich but agriculture-poor Middle Eastern countries are leasing land in developing nations like Cambodia, Vietnam and Sudan to shore up their food supply, but critics claim the deals are just a form of neo-colonialism.
Film review: Food Inc.
Food Inc. carves its way into the cinematic cavities of the 100% Prime Beef guilt trip genre, offering a shocking exposé about the stuff we put in our mouths. An engaging, important and entertaining documentary, says Luke Buckmaster.
PHOTO ESSAY: Farming the future
High rise buildings that grow, beach pods and pyramids — what bringing farms to the city could look like.
